malvernmugadzikwa
Emmanuel Kafe
THE Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) has launched a campaign to combat the sale of expired and counterfeit products in rural communities.
Since the start of the year, the commission has penalised over 3 500 businesses for various offences countrywide.
The latest crackdown in rural areas is aimed at protecting vulnerable rural populations from exploitation and ensure that they have access to safe and quality products.
In a recent operation in Mashonaland East, the CPC confiscated over 200 cases of expired beverages, with the perpetrators brought to book.
The commission busted a syndicate selling counterfeit school stationery, including pens, in a separate operation.
CPC’s research and public affairs manager Mr Kudakwashe Mudereri said unscrupulous businesspeople were deliberately targeting remote and underserved areas, taking advantage of consumers’ limited access to information and alternatives.
He said the expired products seized included salad creams, baby formula, milk and mahewu.
“The CPC has noted with concern the recent practice by some unscrupulous businesses, which are taking products that are about to expire or have expired to remote parts of the country, mostly rural areas.
“Of notable concern is in the beverages sector, where over 200 cases of drinks were confiscated in Mashonaland East last month. Other products which are being sold expired include . . . salad creams, baby products, milk, mahewu and seasoning products,” he said.
“So far this year, from January to date, over 3 581 businesses have been prosecuted for various offences, with over 1 732 of them being issued with compliance notices, which require them to comply within 14 days, failure of which they will be prosecuted. One of the businesses was fined US$3 000 for selling expired products, through the court system.”
The commission, he said, remains committed to protecting consumers.
“We want to urge our business community to be ethical and stop all the malpractice as the commission will not hesitate to evoke the necessary provisions of the Act in order to deal with all the malcontents who are bent on exploiting consumers,” he said.
“Just last week, our team of inspectors was in Matabeleland North, where they covered areas such as Nkayi, Lupane, Hwange and Dete so that no place or no person is left behind in this crusade to bring sanity within our business community.
“Very soon, we will be publishing names of shops that are in the habit of short-changing consumers.”
Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers president Mr Denford Mutashu said selling expired products not only causes financial loss and erosion of trust, but also puts people’s health at risk.
“Consuming expired products can lead to food poisoning, allergic reactions and other health issues,” he said. “Targeting rural communities with expired products exploits their vulnerability and limited access to information.”
He said there was a need for regulatory bodies to intensify inspections and enforcement actions in rural areas.
Online Reporter